May was a busy (and somewhat stressfully hectic) month for us! As you have by now hopefully noticed, we’re self-hosted, thanks to the incredible generosity of Kayla Ancrum (a sign that you need to read her books now if you haven’t already โ her next is out on 22nd June, so there’s still time to preorder!). After a wobbly start, we think we know what we’re doing now, although I’m sure Hostgator support would disagree.
But anyway, if you’re interested in what we’ve been reading and watching in the meantime, check it out!
And, of course,
๐ ๐ HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!! ๐๐
What we read
Anna
Love and Other Natural Disasters by Misa Sugiura (Japanese American lesbian mc, Japanese American lesbian li, Taiwanese American lesbian li, Black bi side character, Japanese American gay side character, Filipino American gay side character) – 4 ๐ tw homophobia, mention of parent’s death [review]
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (Chinese-coded cast & setting, bi mcs) – 5 ๐ tw gore, murder, torture, mentions of rape, threats of rape, misogyny, femicide, suicidal ideation, abuse, alcohol addiction [review]
๐ฅ Crush by Richard Siken (poetry) – 5 ๐
Jay’s Gay Agenda by Jason June (gay mc, Chinese-American gay li, gay genderqueer side character, gay side character) – 2 ๐ tw vomiting [review]
The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart (Chinese-inspired world and cast; lesbian mcs) – 5 ๐ tw abuse, medical experimentation, blood, gore, body horror (chapter 27), death, murder, physical assault
Crowded, Vol. 2: Glitter Dystopia by Christopher Sebela, Ro Stein & Ted Brandt (poc lesbian mc, bi/pan mc) – 4 ๐
Charlotte
Hard Reboot by Django Wexler (sapphic mcs) – 4 ๐ [review]
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (Chinese coded cast & setting, bi mcs, polyamory) – 5 ๐ cw gore, murder, torture, mentions of rape, threats of rape, misogyny, femicide, suicidal ideation, alcohol abuse [review]
Traitors of the Black Crown by Cate Pearce (lesbian mcs) – 2 ๐ [review]
I Think I Love You by Auriane Desombre (lesbian mc, bi mc) – 2.5 ๐
Things a Bright Girl Can Do by Sally Nichols (lesbian mc, butch lesbian mc) – 2 ๐ cw police brutality
La Bastarda by Trifonia Melibea Obono (Fang cast, lesbian mc, gay & lesbian side characters) – 3.5 ๐ cw homophobia, sexual assault, implied incest, rape & femicide
Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi (Indian American bi character) – 4 ๐
The Lost Arabs by Omar Sakr (poetry) – 5 ๐
Up All Night ed. by Laura Silverman (bi wheelchair user mc, sapphic mc, nonbinary li, Jewish bi mc, Black gay mc, Indian American gay li, gay, bi, lesbian & nonbinary side characters) – 3 ๐ [review] cw infidelity, car crash, child sexual abuse, domestic abuse, death of a parent, self harm
Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges (biography) – 3 ๐ cw suicide, chemical castration
Lady of Shadows by Breanna Teintze (sapphic characters) – 4 ๐
๐ฅ One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston (bi mc with anxiety, Chinese American lesbian li, gay side character, Black sapphic side character, Black gay side character, Puerto Rican American trans side character, Black pan side character) – 5 ๐ [review] cw past homophobic violence
Point of Sighs by Melissa Scott (gay mc, bi mc) – 4 ๐
Death by Silver by Melissa Scott & Amy Griswold (gay mcs) – 4 ๐ cw bullying, past sexual assault, ableism, homophobia
Blood in the Thread by Cheri Kamei (sapphic mcs) – 4 ๐ cw domestic abuse
A War of Swallowed Stars by Sangu Mandanna (Indian-coded cast, sapphic mc & li) – 4.5 ๐ [review]
Monstress, Vol 1: Awakening by Marjorie M. Liu & Sana Takeda (sapphic amputee mc, East Asian coded characters, Black character, sapphic characters) – 3 ๐
Monstress, Vol 2: The Blood by Marjorie M. Liu & Sana Takeda (sapphic amputee mc, East Asian coded characters, Black characters, sapphic character) – 3 ๐
Monstress, Vol 3: Haven by Marjorie M. Liu & Sana Takeda (sapphic amputee mc, East Asian coded characters, Black characters, sapphic characters) – 3 ๐
Monstress, Vol 4: The Chosen by Marjorie M. Liu & Sana Takeda (sapphic amputee mc, East Asian coded characters, Black characters, sapphic characters) – 3 ๐
Monstress, Vol 5: Warchild by Marjorie M. Liu & Sana Takeda (sapphic amputee mc, East Asian coded characters, Black characters, sapphic characters) – 3 ๐
A Strange and Brilliant Light by Eli Lee (lesbian mc, bi/pan side characters) – 3 ๐ [review]
Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta (Igbo cast, lesbian mc & li, Hausa lesbian side character) – 3.5 ๐ cw religious homophobia, homophobic violence (resulting in deaths), implied domestic rape, miscarriage
The Old Guard by Greg Rucka (bi mc, mlm mc, Persian mlm mc) – 3 ๐ cw gore, violence
A Different Kind of Us by Kelly Quindlen (lesbian mc, biracial Black bi li) – 1 ๐ cw internalised homophobia, biphobia, racism
Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez (Black gay mc, gay side characters) – 2 ๐ cw prostitution, rape, religious homophobia, racial slurs, racism, drug use
The All-Consuming World by Cassandra Khaw (sapphic mcs, nonbinary mc, genderfluid mc) – 2.5 ๐ [review] cw suicide, eye gore, violence, surgical procedures, amputation
Aru Shah and the City of Gold by Roshani Chokshi (Indian American bi character) – 4 ๐
What we watched (and listened to)
Charlotte
Threesome (1994) dir. Andrew Fleming (gay mc) – 3.5 ๐ cw homophobia, biphobia, blood, vomiting, casual use of f-word, use of n-word (in discussing who can use)
Cรขteva conversaศii despre o fatฤ foarte รฎnaltฤ (2018) dir. Bogdan Olteanu (lesbian mcs & side characters) – 4 ๐ cw homophobia
Heaven Official’s Blessing (S1) (Chinese mlm mcs) – 4.5 ๐
Anna
Several Conversations About a Very Tall Girl (2018) dir. Bogdan Theodor Olteanu (Romanian cast, lesbian mc & li, lesbian side characters) – 4 ๐ tw homophobia, internalised homophobia
Alice Jรบnior (2019) dir. Gil Baroni (Brazilian cast, poc trans sapphic mc, gay side character, sapphic side character) – 3 ๐ tw transphobia, dead-naming, physical assault, vomiting
Twilightโs Kiss (2019) dir. Ray Yeung (Chinese cast, gay mc & li, gay side characters) – 4 ๐ tw homophobia, internalised homophobia
On the blog
- Our May book of the month.
- Interviews with Brian Zepka, Jxckson & Isaac Fitzsimons.
- Rec lists for standalone fantasy, non-English language films and songs from April.
- ARC reviews (and mixes!) for The Kingdoms, One Last Stop, How to Become a Planet, Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun, and Jay’s Gay Agenda.
- All of June’s releases.
On other blogs
- CW & Skye @ The Quiet Pond interviewed Shelley Parker-Chan and June Tan as part of API Heritage Month.
- Dahlia @ LGBTQReads revealed the covers of The One True Me and You and Delilah Green Doesn’t Care.
- Jess @ A Lesbian and Her Laptop wrote about finding a queer therapist.
- Fadwa @ Word Wonders interviewed Adiba Jaigirdar and Tasha Suri.
So, how was May? What did you read and watch?
2 Comments
M.
Just wondering if you guys are aware of “Zanzibar and Other Harbors” (by Andrew Wheeler and Jacopo Camagni), which was part of the Old Guard: Tales Through Time anthology released in April 2021. Wheeler and Camagni are both queer, and the story focused on husbands Nicky (mlm) and Joe (MENA mlm) fighting fascism/Naziism in Weimar Berlin in the 1930s. Very, very timely and wonderfully executed.
readsrainbow
we were aware of the anthology as a whole (i believe it’s on our december releases post? but i’d have to double check), but not this particular story, thanks!!